Feeding mechanism.



PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

F. MUELLER. FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

,F. MUELLER. FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.14, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

( 11: ucnl'oa PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

F. MUELLER. FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET -3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ornron FELIX MUELLER,

or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR ro STANDARD STOPPER COMPANY, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FEEDING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

4 To all whom it may concern:

e 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Be it'known that I, FELIX MUELLER/a subject of the German Emperor,residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanisms,fully described and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in mechanism'for feedingreceptacles, and has for its object to produce a simple, efficient andpositively operating mechanism for feeding receptacles to machines,such, for instance, as bottle capping machines, or other machines inwhich a ositive feed ca-v pable of being operated at a'liigh speed isdesirable.

With this and other objects not specifically referred to in view, theinvention consists in certain constructions, and in certain parts,improvements and combinations, as will be hereinafter fully describedand specifically pointed out.

.Refe i to the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section,of so much of a bottle capping machine as is necessary to anunderstanding of the invention. gig.

1g. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a modification.

In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention, 1indicates a frame or standard in which the operative parts ofthemechanism are mounted.

A machine embodying the invention will include some means for presentingthe receptacles to a mechanism which is to perform a further operationin connection with the receptacles. This presenting means may be variedin construction and will vary according to the type of machine in whichthe invention is embodied, and the function of the mechanism which is tooperate upon the receptacles. In the particular construction shown,which as before stated represents the invention as embodied in a bottleca ping machine, the presenting de-.

vice will e arranged so that it may be given a movement to successivelypresent receptacles to the mechanism which is to thereafter operate inconnection with them.

'In the particular construction shown, the

presenting device embodies a star wheel 2 and a table 3. In thepreferred construction and as shown, the presenting device will bemounted so as to rotatein order to successively present receptacles, andthis rotation will also referably be effected by mechan ism of sue acharacter as to give the presenting device a step by step movement.While the construction by which the presenting device is given thismovement may be varied widely, in the construction shown, the presentingdevice is mounted on a shaft 4 which is preferably held in an inclinedposition in the frame, as shown, the lower end of the shaft beingsupported in suitable bearings in a bracket 5, and the u per end of theshaft being held in suitable hearings in a bracket 6. The mechanism forgiving the shaft 4 the step by step movement referred to may beof anydesired character. As shown, the shaft is provided with a disk 7 havingslots 8 therein on its under side, which slots are successively enteredby a in 9 on a continuously rotating wheel 10. '1 e wheel 10 is mountedon a stud 11 projecting from the main frame ofthe machine. This movementis of the general character known as a Geneva" movement, and a specificdescriptionof it is unnecessary, as any other desired movement may besubstituted therefor. As shown the gear 10 is driven by a gear 12attached to a bevel gear 13, this gear being driven by intermediates l land 15 which derive their motion from the main driving gear 16.

In machines embodying the invention, the receptacles will be positivelyfed to the presenting device by automatic means. The means forautomatically and positively feeding the receptacles may be widelyvaried in construction. As shown, there is provided a shaft 17 on whichis mounted a screw conveyer 18. In the particular construction shown andfor reasons to be hereinafter stated, the shaft 17 is a jointed shaft,the joint being indicated at 19. This shaft is supported, in theconstruction illustrated, in a bearing 20 carried in an arm 21 mountedin a clamp 22 secured to a stud or projection 23 extending frpm the sideof the frame. The shaft 17 is supported at its other end in a bearing 24formed in an arm 25 which extends from a hubor bearing 26, this hub orbearing being carried on a projection or stud 27 extending outward fromthe machine 1 frame on the side opposite to that on which the stud 23 islocated.

The receptacles may be brought within the range of action of theconveyor in any desired way. In the construction shown, there isprovided a table 28 having a guiding rail 29, the table being inclinedtoward the feeding device so that the receptacles may roll down it bygravity, and being also inclined so that the receptacles will lie uponit in a position substantially parallel to the shaft 4.

In the construction so far described, it will be readily understood thatarticles placed on the table 28 will roll down the table and theconveyor being suitably driven will positively forward the articles intothe range of action of the star wheel which will in turn present them tothe mechanism which is to thereafter act in connection with them.

In the preferred construction a machine embodying the invention willinclude not only means for automatically and positively forwarding thereceptacles to the presenting device, but will also provide means fordischarging them from the machine after they have been operated upon.While the means for discharging or removing the receptacles from thepresenting device may be of any desired character, there is preferablypro vided a screw conveyer 30, this conveyer being also mounted 011 theshaft 17, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. After the articles have beenoperated upon by the mechanism which is to act in connection with them,a movement of the star wheel brings them within the range of action ofthe conveyer 30 which automatically and positively moves them away fromthe presenting device, the receptacles moving over a supporting plate 31and being delivered onto a receiving table 32. As the receptacles lie inan inclined position in the conveyer 30, a guard 33 is or may beprovided which bears against the receptacles near the bottom and bringsthem up into a vertical position as they pass onto the table 32.

Inasmuch as the conveyer 18 has the receptacles delivered to it bygravity, the receptacles rolling down the inclined plane 28, as has beendescribed, this conveyer 18 will lie in an inclined position, and inorder to utilize a single shaft for operating both conveyers, this shaftis made jointed as has been before described. The shaft may, if desired,be additionally supported, arms 34, 35 provided with suitable bearingsbeing shown for this purpose.

he conveyer mechanism may be operated in any desired manner. In theparticular construction shown, the shaft 17 is provided with a gear 36which meshes with a gear 37 carried on a shaft 38, this "shaft beingsupported in a bearing in the arm 25 before referred to and in a similarbearing in an arm 39 similarly located. This shaft 38 is provided with asprocket wheel 40 over which runs a sprocket chain 41. This chain passesover a second sprocket wheel 42 mounted on a stud extending from theframe which stud also supports a third sprocket wheel 42". These twosprocket wheels are secured together in any desired manner, the secondsprocket wheel being driven from a chain 43 chine, this shaft being theshaft which supports the gear 16 before referred to.

Instead of feeding the bottles into the range of action of the conveyerby gravity, they may, if desired, be manually placed within its range ofaction, and a construction is illustrated in Fig. 3 by which this can beaccomplished. This construction includes a table 51 having a guard rail52 against which a series of bottles may be placed and along which theymay be pushed. The rail 52 terminates at the beginning of the conveyerwhich in Fig. 3 is marked 53. The conveyer is mounted on a shaft 54supported in a hearing 55 carried on the table. The driving means forthis shaft are omitted as unnecessary to an understanding of this partof the invention, but it will be understood that this shaft may, ifdesired, be driven in the same manner as the conveyer shaft previouslyre- .ferred to. The table 51 is, as illustrated,

horizontally arranged, but the presenting device is inclined, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. When the construction is arranged in this manner, aguide will be employed for turning the receptacles from a vertical to aninclined position, such a guide being illustrated and marked 56.

It will be understood that when the conveyer mechanism illustrated inFig. 3 is employed for forwarding receptacles to the presenting device,a conveyer similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2 will be employed formoving the receptacles away fromthe present device after action has beenhad upon them by the mechanism which is to operate in connectionwiththem.

The operation of the mechanism will be understood without furtherspecific description than thatalready given.

It will be seen that the construction is exceedingly simple, and it hasbeen found in practice to be very efiicient, as high as one hundred.bottles a minute having been successfully fed by it to a cappingmechanism.

While the mechanism illustrated and described forms an efieetive meansfor carrying out the invention,it is to be understood that the inventionmay be embodied in mechanisms which difier widely therefrom. Theinvention is not, therefore, to be limited to the warding thereceptacles to the presenting device, and means for automaticallypresenting the receptacles to the conveyer in an inclined position, theinclination of the receptacles being toward the axis of the conveyer,

2. The combination with a receptacle presenting device, of means forgiving it an intermittent movement, a screw conveyer for positivelyforwarding the receptacles to the presenting device in an inclinedposition, the inclination of the receptacles being toward the axis ofthe conveyer, and a support and guide operating respectively on thebottom and side of the resceptacles, said support and guide beinginclined with respect to the conveyer so that the receptacles may rolldown it into the ran e of action of the conveyer.

3. The com ination with a receptacle presenting device, of means forgiving it an intermittent movement, a receptacle support, a screwconveyer for moving the receptacles along the support to the presentingdevice,

a receiving support, a screw conveyer for forwarding the receptaclesalong the receiving support, and means for continuously operating bothconveyers.

I. The combination with a receptacle presenting device comprising a starwheel, of a table on which the receptacle rests, means for giving thestar wheel an intermittent movement, a support, a screw conveyer formoving the receptacles along the support and into the range of action ofthe star wheel, a receiving support, and a screw conveyer for moving thereceptacles away from the star wheel and along said support, and meansfor continuously' operating both conveyers.

5. In a capping machine, the combination with a capping head, of apresenting device, s

means for giving the presenting device an mtermittent movement, meansfor producing a relative movement between the head and pres'entin deviceto bring the receptacle to be cappe into the range of action of thecapping head, a receptacle support, a screw conveyer for forwarding thereceptacles along the support to the presenting'device, a receivingsupport, a screw conveyer for moving the receptacles along this su portaway from the presenting device, an means for continuously operating theconveyers.

, In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence oftwo subscribing J. A. GRAVES, A. WHITE.

